There are only a few weeks to go before the opening of the SETAC Europe 24th Annual Meeting in Basel, Switzerland. "Science Across Bridges, Borders and Boundaries" is the meeting theme. Basel is a vibrant city with well-known research institutions and universities as well as chemical and pharmaceutical companies located on both sides of the Rhine at the "Three Countries Corner" of Switzerland, Germany and France. Thus, Basel is ideal for meeting, listening and discussing exciting ideas as well as for fostering long-term research collaborations and creating new ones.

ET&C and IEAM Best Paper AwardsJennifer Lynch
The SETAC Journals Best Paper Awards recognize papers published in the previous year that exemplify technical innovation and scientific advancement. Papers are judged on quality and clarity of presentation and potential impact. Jennie C. Christensen et al. won the ET&C Best Paper Award for a paper on bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal grizzly bears, which found that high-fiber diets appear to offer protection for these animals from accumulating bioaccumulative chemicals. Sabine Apitz won the IEAM Best Paper Award for a novel synthesis of ecosystem services concepts and a much-needed overview of ecosystem services in practice.

Call for Nominations: SETAC Globe Editor-in-Chief SETAC Publications Advisory CommitteeSETAC is seeking the next editor-in-chief of the SETAC Globe. This is an exceptional opportunity for an individual to actively learn about and get to know the people behind the diverse activities of SETAC. We are seeking an individual who is able to coordinate effectively with SETAC members worldwide, capture the research and collaboration happening across SETAC, maintain high editorial standards without compromising personal style and voice, lead an editorial and production team, and ensure that strict deadlines are consistently met. The successful candidate will be passionate and creative about effectively promoting SETAC's diverse activities around the globe.

Call for Nominations: SETAC Books Coordinating EditorSETAC Publications Advisory CommitteeSETAC is seeking the next Coordinating Editor (CE) for SETAC Books. This volunteer opportunity connects the CE with the technical editors and other participants of high-level, state-of-the-science activities that take place at SETAC focused topic meetings and workshops. SETAC is seeking an individual who has a sense of the emerging fields of inquiry and challenges in the environmental sciences, management and policy arenas. The ability to develop scientific information into easily accessible communications, to identify likely publishable material during the proposal review stage, and to suggest improvements in structure and content early in the proposal stage are crucial.

SETAC on Earth Day 2014Jodi Mohs-Davis and Christine Morrisey The 44th Earth Day and World Environment Day are coming up soon! Earth Day and World Environment Day are celebrated in 190 countries worldwide, increasing awareness of important environmental quality issues including sustainable development, water resources, energy, recycling and waste reduction, green economy, conservation and biodiversity, and environmental education. Many of these issues are within SETAC’s mission and therefore, our presence during Earth Day and World Environment Day 2014 was set as one of the Society's goals. We’d like to share what we’ve learned so far about what SETAC members have planned for Earth Day and World Environment Day, and point out some resources.

4th Young Environmental Scientist Meeting—More than a ConferenceDragan M. Jevtić, Erica K. Brockmeier and Elke Zimmer
The SETAC Europe Student Advisory Council has been organizing unique for-students-by-students biennial conferences known as Young Environmental Scientist (YES) Meetings. YES meetings are now being organized together with representatives from other geographic units of SETAC and have grown to be a truly global student event. We are happy to announce that the 4th YES Meeting will take place from 14–19 March 2015 at the Petnica Science Center in Serbia. All participating students will be able to take part in full-day laboratory and professional development courses, with all of this free of charge for accepted abstracts!

Bioavailability of Organic Chemicals: Linking Science to Risk Assessment and RegulationJose-Julio Ortega-Calvo, Joop Harmsen and John Parsons
SETAC Europe is organising a Special Science Symposium on bioavailability from 14–15 October in Brussels, Belgium. If you are aware that bioavailability is important for proper risk assessment, you should attend this symposium. The focus will be on organic chemicals, and the main objective is to provide solutions to the challenges faced by regulators and industries in handling bioavailability concepts during risk assessment.
Read more…

Upcoming 20th Life Cycle Assessment Case Study SymposiumIgor Budak
The SETAC Europe 20th Life Cycle Assessment Case Study Symposium will be held from 24-26 November 2014 in Novi Sad, Serbia. It is a key international scientific event for LCA, providing an opportunity for researchers, business experts and policy makers from all over the world to gather in a unique environment to exchange scientific ideas and experiences and to discuss new developments.

Summer School on Dynamic Modelling of Toxic EffectsNina Cedergreen, Tjalling Jager and Roman Ashauer
A summer school on dynamic modelling of toxic effects will be held from 5–13 August 2014 at Søminestationen, Holbæk, Denmark. Participants will learn toxicokinetic (TK) and toxicodynamic (TD) modelling. TK deals with the uptake, biotransformation and distribution of a chemical into the body of an organism, whereas TD deals with the next steps, from internal concentration of the active compound to effects on the organism over time. This course will teach the basics of TK and TD modelling, how they can be linked, and how to analyse and interpret toxicity data on a mechanistic basis. Read more…

NEWS AND UPDATES

Today is the final day tot submit your photo in the 4th SETAC Global Environmental Photography Contest! The contest continues this year, with winners announced at the SETAC Europe 24th Annual Meeting in Basel, Switzerland. Click here for more information, submission guidelines and a list of past winners.

Do you know a SETAC member who deserves recognition for their professional activities and service to SETAC? We need your help identifying award nominees. Submit the nominee's name, affiliation and the award for which they should be considered to setac@setac.org by 11 April.

Last chance for advanced registration for the SETAC Basel meeting is 15 April. The complete programme can now be viewed online, where you can download abstracts per track, per session or for each presentation individually. You can also create your personal itinerary for the meeting.

Now is a good time to register for a SETAC Europe Summer School. New courses are available, so check the summer course programme and register quickly.

The Plant Advisory Group is seeking nominations for steering committee openings in academia (2), business (1) and government (2). If interested, please submit a biography and statement of interest, each no more than 10 lines of standard text, to Mark Hanson and Roel Evens by 25 April.

Travel Grants are available for students from Asia/Pacific developing countries for the SETAC Asia/Pacific 2014 Conference from 14–17 September 2014 in Adelaide, Australia. Apply by 30 April.